In a new study, neuroscientists at Ohio State University in the United States have developed a special type of human white blood cell that can promote nerve fiber regeneration. This discovery marks a significant breakthrough in the medical field and is expected to bring safer and more effective new therapies for spinal cord, optic nerve, or brain injury related diseases. The relevant paper was published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Immunology. Dr. Benjamin Siegel, the corresponding author of the paper and head of the Department of Neurology, pointed out that dead nerve cells are usually not replaced, and damaged nerve fibers do not regenerate under normal circumstances, which can lead to permanent nerve damage. But their latest research has found that bone marrow cells can be transformed into powerful therapeutic agents. In the laboratory, they stimulate these cells with specific molecules to transform them into cells that can promote fiber regeneration. These cells can help damaged nerve cells regenerate and improve their survival rate. In the study, Siegel et al. cultured these regenerative cells from the bone marrow of eight human donors. They found that regenerative cells from eight donors successfully regenerated human nerve cells into nerve fibers, even doubling the survival rate of stressed nerve cells. This indicates that this type of regenerative cell can slow down or prevent the deterioration of degenerative neurological diseases, reverse nerve damage, and restore its function. Researchers have pointed out that for a long time, nerve damage caused by spinal cord, optic nerve or brain injuries, as well as degenerative neurological diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease, has been considered irreversible. But their research suggests that scientists may soon be able to use patients' own cells to safely and effectively treat these diseases. Therapeutic cells can be extracted from patients, grown in large quantities in the laboratory, and then applied at the site of injury or disease to promote nerve fiber regeneration in the brain and spinal cord. Siegel stated that they plan to develop the most effective methods for growing and delivering these cells to begin clinical trials. Their ultimate goal is to develop a treatment method that utilizes these special cells to reverse optic nerve, brain, and spinal cord injuries and restore lost neurological function in patients. (Lai Xin She)